A Pheo What????

Those who heard me say in the Laity Address at the Virginia UMC Annual Conference that the last year had been a whirlwind had no idea what a squall was taking place in my life at that moment. You had no idea how my feet and legs were dangling as my “house” had been moved from its foundation and landed right on top of me. You had no way of knowing what the show of appreciation before I uttered the first words really meant.

In mid-May, I had a CT scan which brought very unexpected news. I was in to see the surgeon the next week, followed by two weeks of lab tests and waiting on results. The final test result came in on Friday, June 9th. I heard from the surgeon the following Monday and thought that before I got to Roanoke for the start of Annual Conference, the date of surgery would be on the calendar. But, the call didn’t come.

Fifteen minutes into the Laity Heart-to-Heart, the surgeon’s office number came up on my phone. My first chance to listen to the voicemail and return the call was at the lunch break following the opening session. After a little phone tag, surgery was set for June 27th. That call was at 1:30 PM; the Laity Address was on the schedule for 2:00 PM. If you were one of those in the Berglund Coliseum that afternoon, thank you for your support. You had no way of knowing what the show of appreciation before I uttered the first words really meant.

Today marks four weeks following surgery. The pathology reports confirmed that the squall was a very rare, benign tumor that I have to visualize phonetically every time I say it: pheochromocytoma. See why the title is “A Pheo What???”

This is a long apology if you were at Annual Conference and felt that I didn’t give you the full attention you needed. It’s my way of asking for your grace if you’re still waiting on a response or resource (like the list of website links promised in the Laity Session). But this is also a step for me in self-care…in admitting I need to rest and recover.

So the remainder of this summer will be slower. The calendar will not be as full. This could all have been so much more – and like the medical journeys of so many, could have been much longer and more difficult. And so, the next few weeks will include more time for reflection than answering emails, more time sitting on the porch watching God at work in the movement of the leaves and the colors of the rainbow than thinking about church disaffiliations.

There is an organization for those who share this rare journey with pheochromocytoma and paraganglioma. The mascot is a zebra named Phearless. If you google zebras, descriptions of them as spirit animals say things like “zebras symbolize resilience and determination. They’re headstrong creatures that never give up, no matter how difficult the situation may be.”

Forget the whirlwinds. I’m starting the search now for phearless zebra print clothing and accessories for the 2024 General Conference!!